president obama meets with the top congressional leaders. no deal can be reached impasse without their meeting. so far the fiscal talks have been when all four of these leaders have been present. >> whether he meant it or not, it seems exhaustive. >> i mean what's going on here? >> what indeed. president obama returned to the white house in a grim mood. he met with no congressional leaders and said nothing about his efforts to avert the fiscal cliff. talks continue between senior white house and congressional staff, but that's been true throughout then tire saga. with the deadline looming there were dire predictions. >> come the first of this year, americans will have less income than they have today. >> and rekrimm nations. >> now republicans have bent over backward. we've stepped way, way out of our comfort zone. we wanted an agreement, but we had no takers. >> the senate's top democrat said it has nothing to do with phone calls but house republican obstruction. >> thehouse of representatives is operating without the house of representativ